Pompeii, three events between successes, controversies and human shields

In the last couple of months three events have dominated the “piazza” of Pompeii and all three are now about to be archived. The balance of one of the three, the Jazzitfest of Civitates is exciting. Luciano Vanni and his team were able to ignite the spark of “civic ignition”. The definition was coined by Vanni himself. It is the spark that gave rise to the sudden and tumultuous formation of a civic identity of the Pompeians, previously absent or latent. Such absence was denounced by slightly more attentive observers. But now the change is palpable. We could say that Pompeii is finally Civitas. However, certain vices die hard. Let us therefore remember the other two events, which were born different and were destined to remain completely so. But then they developed in a complementary way. And this has left other observers disconcerted, quite attentive, like the writer. So shocked that he now feels authorized to write that at a certain point the old people were used as human shields by the “No Sottopassi Committee” which had hundreds of posters and flags printed where under the words “NO Sottopassi” the words “Save Casa Borrelli” stand out.
A great pity. And an insult to Ethics, which should characterize every civic or political action.
To better understand each other and without any doubts for the readers, we have looked for the best definition for "human shield". Here it is, it goes more or less like this: "human shield" is a military solution that involves the use of civilians to protect possible military objectives in order to dissuade the enemy from attacking such objectives, preparing the counterattack. It seems to me that it fits and more or less suits the case. Let's not be shocked but it is so. And it is useless for someone (cynically) to still try to make it clear - to the fools, who are many - that the possible abolition of the Casa Borrelli will be due to the demolition of its Little Church.
It is known that EAV has made a formal commitment that the demolition of the little church will be followed by its immediate reconstruction on the opposite side of the Casa Borrelli building. The entire building will in turn be completely renovated at the expense of EAV, that is, the Campania Region, that is, also with our money. Or NOT? By doing so, however, the vehicle underpass (be careful! that is, only for cars) that will have to be built near Casa Borrelli will be easier for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cars that will use it every day. And surely a more comfortable and wider underpass will be more capable of handling the traffic that will "pass under" the tracks of the former Circumvesuviana at that point to "climb over" them from valley to mountain and from mountain to valley. And this will avoid the daily formation of an aerial gas chamber in the smog quadrilateral in the very center of Pompeii and along the entire Via Nolana. Does this strategy seem so evil to you? Isn't it more cynical and evil who used the grandparents of Casa Borrelli as human shields, as human shields to say No to the underpasses, sinking them for a few decades, if not permanently? Just to be clear, we can say that the grandparents certainly wouldn't see them. But the grandparents would certainly put up with their daily quota of exhaust fumes and smog for the years they have left to live.
The Committee formed for the defense of the Borrelli House well before the EAV Project could meanwhile ask that the renovation of the House be among the first interventions to be carried out, if not the first, to allow a quick return of the grandparents after the works. This would be the real concrete guarantee for the Borrelli House.
But it must also be said that the returns are made with criteria of transparency for those entitled. Not according to the perverse logic of belonging, as the Aspide Company did.
We could also ask for the expansion of the use of the building for a First Aid Point in Pompeii, which is indecently without one. It would be a winning symbiosis and a victory for the Committee created for the Casa Borrelli, not for the EAV Project.
From the very first moment, from the columns of Cronache della Campania, we had pointed out that the fate of the “grandparents” of Casa Borrelli had to be kept separate from the Underpasses. But we do not pretend to be listened to. We will see. In the meantime, we note that with lucid political astuteness, the Pompeian Council Opposition – which, let it be clear, has the legitimate right to move against the Majority that supports Mayor Amitrano – has gathered around a bipolar focus. At the center of the focus, the EAV Project with its underpasses and Casa Borrelli with its grandparents, who were the involuntary protagonists of the public meeting of the reinvigorated opposition.
Fortunately, Civitates keeps itself far from this confused picture and cannot afford to see the flame of Civic Accension that it has meritoriously lit with its very successful Jazzitfest go out. The new civic identity of Pompeii needs perspectives, not lacerations.

 Federico LIFederico